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Manual or Automatic? Manual or Automatic?
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Photo by Alessio Corradini, on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, of two locals

I haven't been everywhere...
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Photo by Alessio Corradini,
on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia,
of two locals



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  #1  
Old 1 Jun 2015
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Manual or Automatic?
Day to day driving I'd always choose an auto, new auto transmissions are so good they are better than manual in every way.

For offroad I prefer to have a manual, I just feel it gives better control and also I find it comforting to know that even without a battery or a starter motor if you can get it to roll you can usually get it started. Although for soft sand a torque converter automatic does work well.

What do you like and why?
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  #2  
Old 1 Jun 2015
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Manual for me on everything I drive..................why because I'm red blooded and anything else is not natural
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  #3  
Old 1 Jun 2015
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I won't pay extra for automatic in a car and won't accept increased fuel consumption or servicing costs because of it. Once they sort themselves out I'll take whatever they want to sell me.

In a truck, the automated ones vary as much as the variations on manual did. Once upon a time I could do clutchless changes on a twin splitter . Some drive like a car, some drive like my mum in a car.

I havn't done enough miles on an automatic bike to comment. Torque converter works, automated with double clutch looks likely to be unrepairable to some point in the future when the dealer won't want to know the independents won't know.

Andy
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  #4  
Old 1 Jun 2015
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Horses for courses , as they say , overland , expedition then has to logically be manual . Heavy traffic city driving then auto . From then on its a matter of personal choice , there are pluses and minuses for both , trialing , or towing . I have landrovers with both options , so have the luxury of choice , which can make things less of a chore . JMHO
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  #5  
Old 2 Jun 2015
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Automatic if its Working, Manual if its Broken
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  #6  
Old 2 Jun 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gipper View Post
Automatic if its Working, Manual if its Broken

So true.
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Old 2 Jun 2015
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Auto
HDJ80 series for example; auto box is stronger by virtue of planetary gear arrangement, can't burn the (heavy beasts's) clutch. For slow rock-crawling, the torque converter acts as giant shock-absorber, protecting the drive-line.
Change ATF to Castrol Transynd, and fit an extra ATF cooler, if you're towing.
Pricey and complex to repair, sure. But why would you need to? Drive it right.
My HZJ76 is the work of the god's, but I do miss an auto box, towing as I do,
Barrie
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Old 5 Jun 2015
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Although my current vehicle is a manual my preference would always be an auto. As Barrie says if used correctly the rest of the drive train will suffer less stress and you'll make far smoother progress. Especially rock crawling once you've mastered left foot braking.
Any broken gearbox is an issue but where has this myth that auto boxes are un reliable come from?
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  #9  
Old 6 Jun 2015
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I work in auto sales and years ago I was working with Skoda, back then it had a primarily older customer base and I'd often get the same comment when I asked them if they'd like a manual or an automatic.

They'd always say they didn't want an automatic because they are so unreliable, "you're too young to remember the DAF variomatic aren't you?" Is what I heard all the time.
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Old 8 Jun 2015
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they probably didn't know the Daf Variomatic was actually one of the first CVT transmissions used in a road car and not a 'true' sequential auto box, it was unreliable as it used rubber drive belts that tended to break, true auto boxes are generally quite reliable and as mentioned, tend to be gentle on drivetrain components and you don't over rev the engine like its possible to do in a manual box, I remember flying around country lanes of Dorset in my mates Daf 44 - which could drive in reverse as fast as it could go forwards...great for J turns
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Old 8 Jun 2015
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Haha what a story!

I detest CVT gearboxes, some Japanese manufacturers insist on keeping this tech alive and fit them to their cars and honestly they're terrible. Audi still use the 'Multitronic' gearbox on A4 and A5 but when the new models get released they will drop the old gearbox in favor of the dual-clutch systems.

A good torque converter transmission is always a lovely thing to have, but most are switching over to the automatic clutch systems in fairness they do work very well but I do wonder about the drive train on the more powerful engines.
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Old 15 Feb 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gipper View Post
Automatic if its Working, Manual if its Broken
lol ... pretty much
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  #13  
Old 6 Mar 2016
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When I was sourcing my vehicle, the advice of Footloose 4x4 and of the Sahara Overland book was to go for an automatic gearbox. Automatics do have some advantages, but I DO wish I had got a manual Landcruiser. Why? Mainly because I prefer manual anyway, but I also found the auto would overheat in desert conditions especially when on sand. And yes, I could have fitted an oil cooler, but that’s extra expense.

There are also situations where you need to be able to give it a bit of extra power when you’re pulling away eg when you’re stuck. In a manual, this is easily done by giving it a bit of extra welly just before/as you let the clutch in. But with an auto, if you have the engine going any faster than idle speed when you put it into drive you get a nasty jolt and risk shock-loading bits of the transmission into oblivion.
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Old 7 Mar 2016
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Originally Posted by ilesmark View Post
When I was sourcing my vehicle, the advice of Footloose 4x4 and of the Sahara Overland book was to go for an automatic gearbox. Automatics do have some advantages, but I DO wish I had got a manual Landcruiser. Why? Mainly because I prefer manual anyway, but I also found the auto would overheat in desert conditions especially when on sand. And yes, I could have fitted an oil cooler, but that’s extra expense.

There are also situations where you need to be able to give it a bit of extra power when you’re pulling away eg when you’re stuck. In a manual, this is easily done by giving it a bit of extra welly just before/as you let the clutch in. But with an auto, if you have the engine going any faster than idle speed when you put it into drive you get a nasty jolt and risk shock-loading bits of the transmission into oblivion.


I agree for the most part, each have their own advantages and disadvantages, but it is generally accepted that if you are going to work an auto box hard with towing or lots of sand driving in high ambient temperatures that you should have a transmission oil cooler fitted though.

If you need to give it some welly in an auto, left foot brake whilst stationary in Drive and bring the revs up to peak torque, then come off the brake - just don't brake and hold the revs up at the same time for too long as this will heat up the transmission oil quickly.
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  #15  
Old 7 Mar 2016
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Been driving an auto around the Andes for a few months - nearly 6 tons all up - and the difficult terrain is just soaked up by the transmission whereas with a manual box the million gear changes would have been totally wrecked after every days drive. We lost our brakes at nearly 4000 metres and had two days of driving up and down 1000 to 2000 metres as we crossed each valley, and the auto with lockup on all gears kept us under control at all times. Still had the low range to go if things got too steep.

I've got an OKA back home with a perkins diesel and manual 5 speed box and about the same all-up weight and as soon as possible that is going to get an auto transplanted into it.

As for better control with a manual box and clutch - dream on!
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